| The Top Ten List presented at the June 9, 2020 NAP Presbytery Meeting |
Mission Resource Team Top Ten
The members of the Mission Resource Team (MRT) put together a list of the top ten things ways they are prepared to help congregations with during this difficult time and beyond. We are passionate about helping churches continue to not only survive, but through the power of the Spirit, thrive, during this time of a global pandemic, economic downturn, and racial tensions. The North Alabama Presbytery has been in our daily prayers. Several churches have reached out to us for help and support during these last several months, and we want all of our congregations to know that we are here for you.
The purpose of this list is to promote discussion in the leadership of our churches and so that they know that they are not alone in ministry. We want to support and encourage however we can. We may not know an answer, but we can help find it.
The MRT supports congregations in five primary ways:
- NAP Leaders Group on Facebook
- Coaching of Churches and Church Leaders (we can help problem solve and offer a person off of whom to bounce ideas.)
- Events
- Curated Articles and Resources
- NAP Blog on Website https://napcusa.org/nap-community-blog/
Here are our Top Ten Ways we support your ministry:
1. NAP Leaders group on Facebook.
This resource is being used for brainstorming, sharing ideas, and problem solving in the Presbytery. Sign up for it and get your leaders to as well. Curated articles are posted for ways that we can support the ministry and mission of our congregations.
This is NOT a place to advertise what your church is doing. It is a place to help one another do ministry. We have had discussions there about Covid, worship, race relations, outreach, and more.
You can find the group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/394188271527794/
If you aren’t on Facebook that often, but have an account, you can adjust your settings to receive an email when something is posted.
2. Addressing Racial Reconciliation
It is evident from recent events that our churches have a role in loving and bearing with our brothers and sisters who are victims of racism. The MRT would be glad to connect you with a variety of ways for your church to act in this important arena. There are different ways to do this, but the key is to do something. The MRT can offer ideas and suggestions for this.
We will continue to post articles and resources on our NAP Leaders Facebook page and through our website and the monthly newsletter.
There are a variety of resources regarding this on our Facebook page. Here are the links that are there so far:
Black Citizens are angry, how can white leader’s help? https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonwingard/2020/06/04/black-citizens-are-angry-how-can-white-leaders-help/?fbclid=IwAR2_UZZYcuXEHaZQJNp2npDbUjGnJSWvlrBItaNbwmPFm5TO-pnv2Z3iOwY#25b0d8fd755b
Regarding Use of Force:
http://useofforceproject.org/?fbclid=IwAR1Fy1aaplHU4lftiJEj1g5qBfZUR72XJvLU6cBhuM6fgTp3eyQVcukUxBs
Solidarity Sunday on June 21. https://napcusa.org/solidarity-sunday/
How the church can get involved in the fight against racial injustice
75 Things white people can do to fight Racial Injustice: https://medium.com/equality-includes-you/what-white-people-can-do-for-racial-justice-f2d18b0e0234
Great video on Systemic Racism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrHIQIO_bdQ
3. Mental Health
The MRT has mental health resources for pastors and congregations. As Covid 19 and racial tensions continue, anxiety, depression, grief and other mental health struggles are increasing. How are your members doing? How is your leadership doing? How is your pastor doing?
Here are current articles on the Leaders Facebook Page:
From Rev. Carl Malm
https://napcusa.org/grief-in-a-time-of-pandemic/
Also, it takes some clicking, but good resources.
Finally, a good article on self-care: https://curtthompsonmd.com/a-body-of-work/
4. Caring for your Pastors
Your pastors are under a great deal of pressure to make right decisions and to lead their congregations spiritually and physically. Doing everything in a new way is exhausting.
- Have you considered how you can give your pastor permission to rest? Extra days off during the month?
- Have you had a conversation with your pastor to see what adjustments need to be made to their job description given current realities?
- Are there things that she or he can off-load so that the extra time needed for the online aspects don’t end up being on their days off?
- Do you have the appropriate documentation in case something happens to your pastor?
- Do you have a detailed list of tasks, accounts, passwords, etc. so that your church can continue ministry if something happens to your pastor?
5. Worship
- This is an excellent time to evaluate our worship services.
- Is your worship meeting the goals for worship that you want to meet?
- Do you need help with online services or streaming services? We can help you figure out what you can do with the volunteers and staff you have on hand and help develop a plan to implement.
- Is your worship reaching not only who is there, but who you would like to be there?
- Is your worship facilitation transformation, or just information, or only a habit for attendees?
- Is it exciting and participatory?
- Information or transformation?
6. Staying Connected with your Congregation
The MRT recommends implementing these ways of connecting with your whole congregation. Who are you not reaching regularly. Not sure how to do these? We are glad to help!
- Livestreaming or recording services
- Weekly Emails
- Phone calls
- Snail mail –announcements and sermons.
- Video conference for groups and conferences
- Social media
7. Best Practices on Re-opening
The MRT has quite a few resources to consider when you are weighing whether or not to re-open. Most are on the NAP Facebook Group Page.
8. Stewardship
How is your congregation doing regarding giving? The MRT would be happy to hear how you are currently doing this and offer suggestions to improve your message so that you have the funds to do what God has called you to do.
- Are you sending messages that are appealing and hopeful?
- Do they include messages about what your church is currently DOING during the pandemic, Mission and Outreach?
- Do you have funding for your church that does not solely depend on donations?
- Do you need to consider ways to reallocate financial resources as well as staff or volunteer resources? For example, what are your ushers doing now? How can you deploy them to ministry when/if not meeting?
9. Ways to reach out to your Neighbors
- How are you helping the hungry and struggling in your area?
- If you are a smaller church, are there other mission partners or churches with whom you can partner?
- Do you know the local non profits that you can partner with who are already on the front lines?
- Have you thought about establishing a crisis Mission and outreach team that specifically deals with the crisis issues of times like this and the focus is solely on developing partnerships in your community?
10. Decently and In Order: Virtually
We don’t know how much longer this particular pandemic crisis will last, nor do we know if there will be a resurgence. We encourage churches to explore how to use Video Conferencing Apps like Zoom and GoToMeeting to continue the business of the church. These tools can help your church continue to gather for Session and Congregational meetings. We can also can help you re-tool your by-laws to allow for electronic meetings and votes. Because we do, after all, want to do all things decently and in order!
Finally, if something is not listed here and you need help, let us know. We can try to help or find someone who can help you.
Blessings, Mission Resource Team